Physical training in patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin: effect on exercise capacity and left ventricular remodeling

Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2007 Feb;14(1):85-91. doi: 10.1097/HJR.0b013e3280114f12.

Abstract

Background: Physical training is a well-known complementary treatment for chronic heart failure (CHF); however, many aspects require further studies. One of them is the impact on remodeling of the left ventricle (LV). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 6 months of training on LV, exercise capacity and safety issues in patients with ischemic CHF.

Methods: Fifty patients (mean age 60.1+/-9.2 years) with ischemic CHF, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification class II and III and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <or=35% were randomized into groups: undergoing 6-month training (25 patients) and not trained (25 patients). In both groups at baseline and at 6 months a cardiopulmonary exercise test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with evaluation of LV were performed. Training was limited by the achievement of 80% of the predicted heart rate at VO2peak achieved at the baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test.

Results: All patients completed the 6-month observation. No serious adverse events were found in either group. Exercise capacity improved only in the trained group (VO2peak increased by 31%). At 6 months in the trained group there was a tendency towards an improvement in some LV parameters: ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume and wall motion score index (WMSI), whereas an opposite trend was seen in the controls (P<0.05, P<0.05 and P<0.01 for comparison of LVEFs, end-diastolic volumes and WMSIs, respectively).

Conclusions: Six-month training in ischemic CHF patients is a safe modality. Training improves exercise capacity. There was no negative impact on LV morphology, and a trend towards improvement of functional parameters on MRI may suggest an anti-remodeling effect of training in patients with ischemic CHF.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cardiac Output, Low / complications*
  • Cardiac Output, Low / therapy*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Exercise Test
  • Exercise Therapy
  • Exercise Tolerance / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Ischemia / complications*
  • Myocardial Ischemia / therapy*
  • Quality of Life
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ventricular Function, Left / physiology*
  • Ventricular Remodeling*